Life After Death for Shinobi
by Sirge
Summary: Naruto and Sasuke die. Sasuke struggles to return to life by any means neccesary in order to accomplish his goal, while Naruto becpmes a Hollow and struggles to recall who he once was. NarutoxBleach crossover ON HOLD INDEFINITELY
1. Death is The Beginning of a New Journey

AN: Happy 4th everyone! First off, I do NOT own Naruto, Bleach, the ideas within Bleach and Naruto, the material from which I get names for chapters and etc, the internet, the computer you're viewing this with, the electricity powering your computer, or your mind and soul. If a lawyer can still find a loophole in that, then I'm stumped.

"blah"-speech

'blah'-thoughts

"**blah"**-demon/hollow/other inhuman evil thing speech

WARNING: There are HUGE spoilers in this story, both for Bleach and Naruto

Also, if anyone knows a site with a translator for naming jutsus, I'd like to know it. I absolutely hate the English names.

Anyway, here's the story. Enjoy

Chapter 1

Death is The Beginning of A New Journey

Naruto opened his eyes and saw… himself?

"It is finished," confirmed a man robed in a dark cloak covered in red clouds, "the Kyuubi has been successfully removed from the brat. Well done." Sure enough, Naruto could no longer feel the demon's presence. Or anything else for that matter. He spun around and yelled,

"Hey you Akatsuki bastards! What have you done to me?!?"

But none of the Akatsuki seemed to take notice of him. Kisame said, "But he was a strong one. I haven't had that much fun in years!" The rest of Akatsuki nodded in agreement. Slowly, Naruto's memory returned to him. He had been deceived into believing a young boy named Tobi. Tobi had lured him outside of Konoha, where he had been attacked by three other members of Akatsuki, including Itachi. Even drawing out three tails of Kyuubi hadn't been enough, and Naruto refused to draw out any more with Konoha so near. He had been beaten.

Zetsu said, "Should I dispose of the corpse?"

"No, it would be better to send it back to Konoha. Show those stuck up fools their place. Who knows? The villagers weren't too fond of him, we just might get an entire village of support." Naruto silently took this in. The only way they wouldn't be able to see him is if he was under a genjutsu, which he knew he wasn't, or if he was a spirit. But if he was a spirit, wouldn't that mean that the copy of him on the ground was…..

His corpse?

Naruto noticed for the first time the broken chain that seemed to hang from his chest. "I'm dead." The realization hit him like a ton of bricks. Naruto sprinted out of the cavern. 'Tsunade… Tsunade can revive me! She's a master medic, she'll figure something out!' With these fervent thoughts, Naruto headed for Konoha.

Along the way, Naruto spotted a familiar person. Forgetting that no one could see or hear him, he yelled, "Sasuke! What are you doing here!" Sasuke turned and said, "What do you think dobe? I'm returning to Konoha." Naruto rushed up to Sasuke, his mind never making the connection that Sasuke shouldn't be able to see him. Faster than he could blink, Naruto was crushed inside of the incredible maw of a Hollow.

Ground Fisher grinned to himself. That blonde boy- practically burning with reiatsu (spirit energy, pretty much chakra of the dead)- had been an ease to catch. He watched as "Sasuke" melted away, revealing Fisher's simple-yet-effective lure. Ah yes, with this absurdly large amount of reiatsu, he would be able to heal the wounds that blasted orange-haired shinigami had inflicted upon him.

Fisher shifted uncomfortably. Since when did he- or any hollow for that matter- get a burning sensation in the gut with a meal? Shifting again, the burning sensation increased. Fisher cursed, now recognizing the telltale symptoms of digesting the toxic reiatsu of a demon. He had no choice but to release the now heartless spirit. It seemed he would have to look elsewhere to heal his wounds.

Somewhere in the desolate wastelands those evil spirits called home, a Hollow was coming into existence. Naruto screamed in agony, the gaping hole where his heart used to be spreading to cover his chest. His body, twisting and contorting as bones cracked and muscles grew, took on the form of a large fox, easily ten feet tall. Black fur mixed with red stripes rippled over his convulsing muscles, and nine writhing tails fanned out behind him.

His screams were cut short as a bony mask slowly grew, obscuring his face. The ebony-white mask rose up at either side of his head, and closely resembled horns or pointed ears. Crimson red stripes stretched up from where his jawbone used to be, and narrowed as the approached his gaping mouth, giving the appearance of whiskers. His hair grew longer. Whereas before his hair had been spiky, it now resembled jagged golden spears. The hollow gazed at himself, observing his mutations and contemplating deeply.

'How did this happen?' He didn't know.

'Have I always been like this?' He couldn't remember.

'Who or what am I?' He couldn't remember this either.

'Am I a monster?' He didn't care.

Suddenly, his entire being focused on one subject. Food. He was hungry. No, he was ravenous. Starving. He needed nourishment. He needed… souls. Reiatsu. Letting out a bestial roar, the hollow phased out of the cloudy wastelands, and into reality.

Miles away in a supposedly abandoned hideout, Sasuke cursed. He had always known this day would come. He knew when it would come, and why it would come. Yet, he had assured himself that he was strong enough to handle it, that when the dust settled he would be on top. Orochimaru had always said that one day his cockiness would lead him to his death.

That is, if he didn't die today.

Orochimaru and Sasuke battled for dominance in the depths of Sasuke's mind. Sasuke would have already killed the snake if he had access to his cursed seal. Unfortunately, Kabuto had temporarily sealed it. Now, he was trapped in a conflict with this damnable snake of a man, and -although Sasuke would rather commit seppuku than admit it out loud- he was losing. Badly. It was clever really. Orochimaru had taught all of his biggest, most destructive moves, moves that he would need to defeat Itachi. However in his mind, he could not use a single one of them, as missing would destroy part of his mind and leave him a drooling vegetable until death.

Orochimaru lunged, Kusanagi (Grass Cutter Sword) held firmly by his tongue. Sasuke blocked with his sword, just to watch Orochimaru vanish in a puff of smoke. 'What?!? A bunshin that can't be recognized by the sharingan? That is-' Sasuke never got any further in his thoughts. He looked down to see the Kusanagi protruding from his chest. His vision spun and darkened.

When Sasuke opened his eyes, he saw… himself, talking with Kabuto. Orochimaru's body lay on the ground a few feet away

"Yes, I was successful. His soul was easy enough to defeat."

"I'm glad to hear that, Orochimaru-sama," Kabuto replied, "How are the sharingan eyes?"

Sasuke's eyes–or Orochimaru's eyes, to be more accurate- glowed red, the first tomoe forming. "Splendid. It will take some time getting used to though."

Sasuke burned with wrath. How dare that-that snake use his body! Sasuke launched a flying kick that promised death for whoever it hit- in this case Orochimaru. Rather than connecting, Sasuke's foot continued through Orochimaru's head, followed by his leg, torso, and the rest of his body slamming into the wall. Orochimaru still continued to talk with Kabuto as though nothing had happened. Sasuke paused for a moment. 'If Orochimaru is in my body, then that would make me…' Sasuke noticed the broken chain hanging from his chest, 'a spirit. A dead spirit. Just terrific.' Sasuke quickly updated his goals in life, death, existence, and ghost hood, whatever:

Kill Itachi

Kill Orochimaru and reclaim body

Revive clan

To accomplish A and C, Sasuke realized that he had to complete B first. Swearing under his breath, Sasuke stormed out of the hideout.

As he walked, Sasuke recalled a shrine that he and Orochimaru had once investigated. Supposedly, it was able to resurrect the dead if they had a good enough reason to live. They lost interest and left; after all, Orochimaru wanted immortality, not to die and then return to life repeatedly. Turning north, Sasuke dashed towards his new destination.


	2. Of Shinigami and Old Hokages

AN: Yeah, I don't own Naruto or Bleach. I don't care if you use this plot idea for your own story, just give me credit somewhere in the story.

But man, this chapter took me a long time. Never realized how addicting it is to write a fight scene. I meant to mention Sasuke in this chapter, but this one kinda expanded larger than I thought it would. Don't worry, he'll be in the next one. Guys, I love reviews and don't mind reasonable critiqueing (as in not mindless flaming) so go ahead and review at will.

Oh, and just to get this out there, Naruto and Sasuke are the main characters, but this IS NOT A YAOI.

"blah"-speech

'blah'-thoughts

"**blah"**-demon/hollow/other inhuman evil thing speech

_blah_-dream/vision

underscore- Important change of scene, character, and/or time

Also, if anyone knows a site with a translator for naming jutsus, I'd like to know it. I absolutely hate the English names.

Anyway, here's the story. Enjoy

* * *

Chapter 2

Of Shinigami and Old Hokages

The nine tailed Hollow cackled in glee. It was almost too easy to catch souls. With each soul he consumed, he remembered something about his former life. One of the first things he remembered was a strange technique called Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. Using this ability, he could make dozens of copies of himself, and send them in any direction to find food.

As the bunshins brought forth soul after soul, the Hollow began to link his scattered memories together. He had been hated for something that had happened at his birth. He did not have a family. He was a ninja, which explained the odd assortment of jutsus that he was remembering. He loved a food called ramen (upon remembering ramen, he sent twenty bunshins specifically to find the souls of deceased noodle chefs). He had made a few friends, but he couldn't remember who they were. One of his friends had left, and he had been trying to find him. His favorite color was orange. The hollow growled as he remembered his murderers; powerful men who wore black cloaks covered in crimson red clouds.

Still, his name eluded him. Suddenly, he felt bunshins dieing off, one after another. Dismissing a bunshin near the area, the Hollow observed its final visions. He saw an old man with gray hair and wrinkles, wielding a simple katana. The old man was garbed in a black kimono. The hollow would have passed him off as a talented samurai, if it weren't for the fact that the man's reiatsu was greater than an ordinary spirit by at least tenfold. Also, the hollow was certain that he had known that man in life. Rising, the hollow charged after his new prey, already excited for the answers he would receive- and the feast.

Sarutobi wiped his brow. There was just no end to these nine tailed illusions! 'I'm getting too old for this.' He chuckled lightly as he recalled how he wound up as a shinigami (Soul Reaper). Sure, he knew that using the shikifuujin (sealing technique) on Orochimaru's arms would require him to serve the Death God for one thousand years, but at the time he hadn't known what this service would consist of. Apparently even the Death God couldn't manage all the spirits in the worlds, so he had built an entire organization of shinigami to help him with it.

The shikifuujin had been his draft to this organization, so to speak. So now, instead of relaxing in Soul Society, he was hacking up an endless wave of nine tailed illusions in the forests outside of the village where he once reigned as Hokage.

A spike in reiatsu was Sarutobi's only warning before the real nine tailed Hollow was upon him.

"So, you show your face at last, Hollow."

"**Tell me old man, who am I?"**

Sarutobi blinked. It wasn't often that a hollow stopped for conversation. Usually they just attacked, only occasionally screaming nonsense. Speaking meaningfully showed intelligence, and in Sarutobi's three years of experience, intelligent Hollows make the most dangerous Hollows. Still, if he could trick the Hollow…

"I do not know who you are. But I can tell that you have been cursed. If you will allow me, I will remove the curse so that you may rest in peace."

The Hollow howled with laughter.

"**Cursed? Cursed! When I have these kage bunshins at my disposal, when I may feast until my body's content, and you call that cursed! Heheh, I guess you are just a senile old man. I was foolish for believing that you had anything to teach me.**"

Sarutobi grimaced. If these clones were kage bunshins, then he was fighting a Hollow that was once a ninja, a tricky combination. In addition, it was most likely a Konoha nin. Things just seemed to keep getting worse. 'Wasn't there a group of shinigami whose job was to make sure that ninjas went to Soul Society instead of becoming Hollows?!?'

In a ramshackle old house about four miles east, a group of men in black robes all suddenly sneezed. Looking around, they shrugged and resumed their game of poker.

Sarutobi drew his katana, and the Hollow attacked. Sarutobi ducked under the swipe of his paw, and ran a shallow cut up the monster's arm. The beast hissed, and the wound began to smoke and heal. Sarutobi sighed. He was definitely too old for this.

More upon reflex than actual thought, Sarutobi leaped back to dodge a tail. Sarutobi was forced to block as the tail grew longer, pushing him back a few inches. Sarutobi leapt into the air as two more tails swung at him. In the air, Sarutobi twisted himself so that he could cleave the Hollow's mask in two.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw one of the tails mutate into a large hand. Just inches from the hollows mask, he felt the hand grab him by the ankle. The mutated tail hurled Sarutobi, who landed safely on his feet about fifteen yards away.

Sarutobi muttered something about old men and proper respect, and observed as the rest of the tails grew hand-like appendages. The Hollow flashed through numerous handseals, and a dozen kage bunshins phased into existence, effectively surrounding Sarutobi. As one, the hundred-or-so hands lunged towards him.

Sarutobi quickly performed some one-handed seals, and a dome of earth rose around him, shielding him from the continuous onslaught. Deciding that he a pretty good idea of what the Hollow was capable of, he grasped his katana with both hands.

"Unlock, Varrine!"

The dome exploded outwards, Sarutobi leaping up into the air. Twirling a solid, black, steel spear covered in silvery runes and tipped with a leaf shaped blade, he launched a large fireball at the original Hollow. With Varrine's ability enabling him to perform jutsus without handseals, he could easily best the strongest of enemies. Combined with his experience as a hokage, he had quickly risen to the rank of lieutenant in his squad, second only to the man who had been his successor in the living world.

The Hollow easily blocked the fireball, but wasn't prepared for the hundreds of kage bunshin Varrines in its wake. The bladed spears tore through the hollow, slicing flesh, muscle, and bone alike. One bunshin struck the corner of the mask with the flat of the blade, causing part of it to shatter. Its legs now missing the strength- and tendons- to hold it up, the Hollow collapsed onto the ground. Sarutobi advanced to deliver the killing blow, but gasped at what he saw.

A familiar trio of whisker-like birthmarks on the hollows face, and a now-cloudy blue eye was all that could be seen under what remained of the mask, but it was enough. Sarutobi could only stare at Naruto. How had he died? Was it the villagers, or was it the organization that had been targeting all bijuu? Or was it something else entirely? Sarutobi looked at Naruto again. Although his appearance definitely resembled the Kyuubi, it lacked the terrifying power and rage. If Kyuubi wasn't with Naruto, then most likely it was with Akatsuki.

Sarutobi pondered what he should do. Sure, he could kill the Hollow and release Naruto's soul to Soul Society, but then Naruto would most likely never see his friends again, even once they had died. Soul Society was a big place after all, and it was not easy to find a person you had once known. "Not easy" as in next to impossible. Even if Naruto were to become a Shinigami to protect Konoha from Hollows, it would still be several hundred years before he graduated from their school. It was a shame that the boy couldn't just keep his hollow abilities and immediately be assigned as a Shinigami substitute to Konoha- Sarutobi suddenly recalled a conversation he had had with his captain several months ago.

_Sarutobi watched his blonde captain as he paced back and forth across the room. Every now and then, he would pause, and then resume his meandering course. Sarutobi asked, "What's on your mind?"_

_The fourth, now captain of squadron 2, responded, "A spirit becomes a Hollow when it is consumed by another hollow or when the chain of existence completely erodes, right?"_

_Now definitely curious and a little confused, Sarutobi nodded. It was common information after all._

_Arashi continued, "If so, then how does a spirit which has lost its chain of existence and reiatsu, gain so much power when it becomes a Hollow? Where does that energy come from?"_

_It was a good question. For a few minutes, everything was silent except for the soft padding of Arashi's feet. Finally, Sarutobi spoke,_

"_Spirits must have some sort of source of energy within the soul other than chakra reserves, reiatsu reserves, or the chain of existence. Maybe hollows know how to tap it."_

_Arashi said, "That's the conclusion I came to as well. Which would mean that Hollows lose that ability when they are purged; otherwise there would be a great number of powerful people in Soul Society. But, if a Hollow could be turned into a shinigami without having be purged, then it wouldn't have to build up reiatsu reserves in Shinigami school. It could save hundreds of years. So, do you think it would work?"_

_Sarutobi smiled, "Well, let's find out."_

After about three months, they had perfected the jutsu. In theory. In reality, it had yet to be tested. Basically, the jutsu transferred a huge amount of shinigami reiatsu directly into the Hollow, hopefully calming the insane spirit and causing it to turn to a less monstrous form- hopefully that of a shinigami.

If it worked on Naruto, he could go back to defending Konoha (just from a threat different than foreign ninja), escort his friends to Soul Society when they died, and maybe even obtain a gigai (temporary fake body for shinigami) and go back to living in the village.

Deciding that now was the time to test their jutsu, Sarutobi performed several dozen handseals and placed his hand upon Naruto's cheek. The hollow began to glow, the intensity growing until Sarutobi was forced to look away. When Sarutobi looked back, the Hollow was gone and in its place was Naruto. He was wearing white robe that, other than their color, were identical to the robes of a shinigami. His chest still had a hole in it, but it had shrunk considerably. What remained of his mask had shrunk to cover the left side of his face. The boy seemed to be asleep, his exposed, calm face an odd contrast to the savage visage of the hollow half-mask Sarutobi fondly ruffled the boy's hair like so many other times when both of them were still alive.

Sarutobi would have most likely continued his path down memory lane, if it weren't for the sudden ringing of the spirit phone in his pocket. Flicking it open, he asked, "What is it?" and proceeded to move the phone about a foot away from his ear.

"Where the #$ in all of #$ing Soul Society are you, you old #$#!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"Whatever happened to respecting one's elders?"

"Save it ya old coot, Soul Society's been invaded by a bunch of #$ing powerful humans. FREAKIN' LIVE HUMANS THAT AIN'T DEAD YET!!!!! Hell, one of 'em even defeated Zarachi Kenpachi in a sword fight! Captain told me to tell you to get your ass back here right now!"

"Karitha, you are aware that the speaker on this phone works perfectly well, right?"

All Sarutobi heard was a long stream of obscenities that would have put even a sailor to shame.

Still, Sarutobi was very disturbed that several living people would be able to enter Soul Society AND still defeat Kenpachi one on one with a sword. The captains weren't called captains for nothing, after all.

"Alright, I'll be right there."

And he hung up before Karitha was able to show off more of her 'colorful' vocabulary. Sighing, Sarutobi looked at Naruto and tossed a yellow book next to him.

"That is all I can offer you for now Naruto. Good luck." The teen merely mumbled in his sleep. Drawing Varrine once again, Sarutobi opened the gate to Soul Society, and left the realm of the living.


	3. Arrancar and Vaizard

Wooh, chapter 3! I'll be going outta town for a week, probably update once I'm back.

FYI: This story begins after Naruto rescues Gaara from Akatsuki in _Naruto_, and during the Ichigo and co.'s raid on Soul Society in _Bleach_.

RobotPirateNinja: Good question, I'd answer but that would spoil later chapters. All shall be explained in good time.

LeiseFlustern: As much as I appreciate your praise, I originally got the idea of the hokages serving the death god from shadowmaster62 (I gotta give credit where credit is due). It wasn't a Bleach crossover and they weren't shinigami, but it was pretty much the same idea; shame that he hasn't updated since '05… If you like action and comedy, read his Never Cut Twice story. It's great

If the first two chapters didn't get itthrough to you, let me make it clear: I don't own Bleach, and I don't own Naruto.

"blah"-speech

'_blah'_-thoughts

"**blah"**-demon/hollow/other inhuman evil thing speech

_blah_-dream/vision/letter

underscore- Important change of scene, character, and/or time

* * *

Chapter 3

Arrancar and Vaizard

Kasajishi Yachiru cheerfully skipped along in woodlands of the Shinobi World. She had finally gained clearance from Soul Society to come here! She was certain that in a world full of ninja, she would be able to find at least one spirit that could be made into a shinigami that would finally give Ken-chan a worthy opponent. But still, she had seen very few wandering spirits so far, and none of them were ex-nin. Spotting the spirit of a raven-haired teen, she began to hum to herself. Maybe this one would be a shinobi!

Sasuke had, in all essence of the phrase, come to a dead end. The shrine had had absolutely nothing except the ability to pull the plump wallets of tourists to the nearby shops like unexpecting moths to flame. He supposed that he could seek out a shaman, but shaman tended to be reclusive and difficult to find. Also, he had no intention of getting his soul bound or banished by a shaman. Sasuke leaned against a tree, pondering his dilemna, when he heard somebody humming. Sasuke looked and then blinked. Was this a cousin of Sakura's?

She definitely had the pink hair and the "I'm innocent and oblivious to the real world" attitude. She looked to be around six, and was dressed in black robes. Sasuke was surprised even further when the young girl shouted, "Hi! I'm Yachiru! What's your name?! Are you a ninja? How long have you been dead? What's-"

Grinding the palm of his hand into his forehead, Sasuke turned and walked away. Or at least he would have, if he hadn't found that he was looking at the same girl he had just turned away from. Sasuke glared at her, letting his eyes flash with the sharingan and releasing a blast of killing intent, one of the many useful abilities that Orochimaru had taught him.

Sasuke was stunned when the girl grinned from ear to ear. "Yup, that's killer intent, you are a ninja! I was right! Are you strong?" Without waiting for an answer, Yachiru drew the rather short katana buckled at her waist and lunged.

Sasuke parried the the lunge with a quickly drawn kunai. Drawing his wakizashi (think that's the type of sword he uses, correct me if I'm wrong), he swung downwards at the rather annoying and absurdly fast pink-haired child. Yachiru leapt backwards, landing a good fifteen feet away.

Sasuke launched the kunai at Yachiru and sheathed his sword in the same fluid moment. Yachiru bent backwards to dodge the kunai and Sasuke, seeing the opening, performed a few quick handseals, whispering, "Katon, Hebi no jutsu (Fire Snake technique)!"

A stream of flames erupted from Sasuke's mouth, the tip of the flow shaping to that of a snake's head. Jaws spread wide, the burning snake rushed towards Yachiru, the grass underneath it combusting. With his sharingan, Sasuke realized that she would dodge and attempt to attack from behind. Sasuke drew a fuuma sharingan in preparation to throw it on the path that Yachiru would take. However, the sudden increase in the weight of his fuuma sharingan made him turn and gasp in surprise.

There was Yachiru, easily balancing upon the edge of the fuuma sharingan. Sure, his sharingan eyes had shown which way she would take, but her speed was way beyond his own. To add insult to injury, Yachiru said, "Wow, you're not too bad! Wanna be a shinigami?"

Sasuke growled, "A what?"

"A shinigami. We help spirits go to Soul Society, or heaven as most humans call it. We also hunt down evil spirits. Basically, we help the Death God do his job."

Sasuke paused, thinking about the possibilities. Sasuke had just lost his body to a weird snake fanatic, and he did not wish to sell his soul to the Death God and his Sakura Jr. shini-watever. Then again, this was the god in charge of Death they were talking about. Considering that he wanted to come back to life, kill Itachi, and kill Orochimaru, all 3 of which fell into the Death God's "area of expertise," making a deal with the Death God might not be such a bad idea.

"Will the Death God be able to bring me back to life?"

"No, but as a shinigami, you would be able to use gigai, which would enable you to interact with the real world once again."

Sasuke smirked. "Excellent. How soon can I get one of these gigai?"

Yachiru said slowly, "Well, if you do well in the classes, don't ditch any of em, and pass the final exam, you'll have your gigai in… three or four centuries!"

Three or four CENTURIES! This wouldn't do, Itachi would be long dead, and Orochimaru would either be dead or near impossible to find.

"No."

"But-"

"I said no."

"Hmph, meanie!" Yachiru jumped off of his fuuma sharingnan.

She thought for a moment. Her permit in the Shinobi World was almost up, and she still had to find a worthy opponent for Ken-chan. Yachiru threw an object at Sasuke, which he caught on reflex.

Flipping it over, Sasuke observed a rather odd badge with a skull on it.

"Slam that into your chest if you wanna be a shinigami!" Yachiru shouted. His sharingan revealed what she was about to do, but his body was too slow to react in time. Yachiru stabbed the base of his chain of fate, spiderweb cracks forming across but quickly growing larger.

"Or allow your chain of fate to be destroyed, and your spirit transformed in an evil spirit known as a Hollow! Your choice! See ya!" Yachiru dropped a black book onto the ground, and left the Shinobi World for Soul Society.

Sasuke would have cursed if it wasn't for the overwhelming pain. Already, he could feel his soul being replaced with a bottomless hunger. A thick, white gauze was running out of his eyes and mouth, slowly covering his face. Sasuke dropped to his knees. Realizing that he had no other choice, he slammed the badge into his chest, and faded into blissful unconciousness.

* * *

Naruto stirred, slowly rising into a standing position. He stumbled over to a nearby pond, intending to splash himself into wakefulness. However, his reflection froze his hands an inch above the water. Naruto looked at the reflection of himself, and stared at his hands. The last thing he remembered, he was about to be killed by that old man, and now he was human again. Naruto ran his fingers along the half-mask and the hole in his chest. Somewhat human, he corrected himself. That old man must have done something to him! But, he wasn't angry. He had returned the Hollow to a semi-human form, and the agonizing hunger had faded to the slightest tingle in the back of his mind. He was grateful for what the old man had done for him. A thought drifted across his mind: 

_He was a young boy sitting next to the old man at a playground. He was sniffling. He said, "Old man,sniff why did you save me from those bullies? Don't you sniff hate me too, like everyone else?" _

_The old man pulled out a large pipe and lit it. "Don't worry, not everyone hates you. Besides, it's my job to help and protect all of the people in this village, from the oldest elder to the youngest infant." _

_The two sat in silence until the young boy noticed that the old man was puffing out rings of smoke. "Whoah! How'd you do that! Can you teach me?!"_

_The old man chuckled. "Maybe when you're older, Naruto."_

"Naruto. Naruto! That's my name, I remember now!" Naruto leapt in joy. He still didn't remember very much, including who the old man was, but Naruto was certain that it would come in time.

Naruto stretched, and was surprised when his hand hit something. '_What?' _Grabbing it, Naruto pulled, and found that the object was the hilt to a broadsword. For a weapon about four inches wide and four feet long, it was surprisingly light, light enough to be swung with one hand. The strangest part was that the weapon felt like a part of his body, like a limb. He could also feel his reiatsu slowly circulating through the blade. Naruto gave it a few experimental swings before returning it to the sheath along his back. He would play with it more later, but first he had to find that old man.

Returning to where he had woken up, Naruto noticed the yellow-bound book on the ground. On the front was a cartoony picture of a guy in black robes, much like the robes the old man had been wearing. _Shinigami for Dummies_ was printed across the top, and the added note beneath it read,

_Dear Naruto,_

_In order to make it possible for you to meet with your friends again, I performed a technique which changed you from a Hollow to a hybrid of Hollow and shinigami. I don't know how you'll differ from regular shinigami, but this book covers most of the basics, as well as some info on Soul Society, or as you know it: the afterlife. __Read this book__. It will help you greatly. Once you are done, come to me in Soul Society. I will help you more there._

_-Sarutobi_

Now he had a name to the old man, but still little else. Naruto flipped open the book to the table of contents. He saw that the book would be able to teach him many things, including one-handed seals like the ones Sarutobi had used in their battle, other Hollows, swordplay, and Soul Society. Sitting down, he began to read.

* * *

Sasuke groaned, a mask on his face clattering to the ground as he stood. Feeling the unfamiliar fabric against his skin, Sasuke observed himself. He was wearing black robes and a sword was sheathed at his side; both clothes and sword were in the same fashion that the mini-Sakura brat had been wearing. Drawing the sword, Sasuke was pleased to find that it was a wakizashi of even better quality than the one that he had received from Orochimaru. Looking around, he spotted a black book. 

He picked it up and read the out loud, "Shinigami 101. Everything the Aspiring Shinigami Needs to Know." He flipped the book open, eyebrow twitching as he saw the childish doodles of flowers and small woodland critters. He continued to the table of contents, reading the list. It did not mention masks, which was a shame for he really wished to know where the mask lying at his feet had come from.

The nose of the mask was hooked slightly, and across the bridge of it was a black mark that greatly resembled the black mark that forms on his nose when he entered the second level of his cursed seal form. The eyebrows were highly exaggerated; thick, black, and arching upwards to the edges of the mask. The rest of the mask was a bony white.

The mask seemed to resemble a bird of sorts, such as a crow or raven. But, the expression of the mask was anything but birdlike. It seemed sinister, and if Sasuke didn't know any better, he would say that the mask was expelling its own killer intent. Sighing, Sasuke began to read the book to see if it had an answer.

* * *

A few hours later, Naruto had mastered the one-handed seals, and had reasonable control over his sword- Zanpakuto, he reminded himself. 

He thought for a little while. He regretted consuming dozens of spirits as a Hollow. Yet, from battling with one shinigami, he had regained a more important part of his memory than killing those spirits had allowed him to regain. So, the best way to regain his memories without consuming millions of spirits would be to seek out Sarutobi and question him… and, of course, to battle other powerful shinigami.

Grinning in satisfaction, Narto drew his zanpakuto. As explained in the book, he began to open the gate to Soul Society. Little did he know that miles away, Sasuke was mirroring his own actions. They thrust their swords into nothingness, and turned them as keys in a lock. The old-fashioned Japanese doors of Soul Society slid open and, as one, they walked into opposite ends of Soul Society.

One seeking his past and one seeking his revenge

Hated idiot and revered genius

Rivals and friends

Naruto and Sasuke

Arrancar and Vaizard

* * *

Ok, I'm now taking ideas for release forms for zanpakutos of Naruto and Sasuke (since in Bleach its the creativity that makes zanpakuto so cool, and I seem to be lacking in the "creative and nifty ideas for kickass swords" department. Remember, Naruto is an arrancar, so his release has to be a physical change. Lemme know if you have any ideas. 

Please go ahead and R&R, I don't bite (usually)


	4. Gears in Motion

Ello, I'm back. Sorry it's been so long, I could spend the next five lines explaining as to why I haven't updated recently, but chances are the majority of you don't even read these little headers, and even less of you care as to why I haven't updated. I'll just respond to a few reviews and then get on with the story.

FFFX: Thanks, I've been looking for a jutsu list site for a while now. I've been to wikipedia, but it never ceases to annoy me that all of the Naruto pages aren't linked together.

TheLoneDreamer: This kinda goes for everyone. I would love to see the ideas from this story used elsewhere. After all, if I was after fame, I'd try to write a book and publish it. I figure, if you can take an idea of yours, mine, and the guy down the street (or watever) and make it better, go for it. Just give em some credit.

Everyone Else: Thanks for the reviews guys, I'm not joking when I say reviews are the main encouragement for an author (in my opinion). I've decided on a release for Naruto, but not for Sasuke yet. If I didn't use yours, then there is a good chance that it will show up in one of the many created characters needed for this story.

Just as a reminder, this story is not a yaoi. While it will focus a lot on Naruto, Sasuke, and their relationship as friends, brothers, rivals, etc. they will not be lovers.

WARNING: This chapter is pretty angsty. You have been warned.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Bleach, which is a good thing, because I can't draw squat

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 4**

**Gears In Motion**

Naruto glanced at his surroundings. He was in a hallway, with doors stretching down the path. In the windows, he could see vacant classrooms. Was he here to visit Iruka? No, he shook his head. He was in Soul Society, not his old home. Naruto frowned. Who was Iruka anyway? 'Oh well, I'll remember eventually. Now, where is Sarutobi?' His goal reconfirmed, he set off down the hallway.

Rounding a corner, he saw a girl no older than himself dressed in a white top and green samurai pants. 'Must be a student' thought Naruto.

Naruto -with his usual grace that was equivalent to a hammer- asked, "Hey lady! Do you know where I can find an old geezer named Sarutobi?"

The girl spun around and said sharply, "Don't insult the lieutenant Sarutobi! Just who do you think you… are…" the girl's words dying on her lips as her eyes registered the bestial, hellish mask across half of his face, and the gaping hole of a Hollow in his chest.

"HELP!!! HOLLOW ON CAMPUS!!!!! SOMEBO-" Almost upon reflex, Naruto drew his broadsword and swung the flat of the blade into her head, slamming her into the wall. She slid down to the ground, unconscious. Naruto swore, realizing that now he'd have half a million shinigami to deal with. Sure, there was a chance that he might get a strong opponent, one that could help him reclaim his memories, but most likely they would little more than fodder. Picking the girl up, he walked into one of the classrooms.

Sure, he could have fought her, but how she cried for help and seemed to forget about the blade strapped to her side suggested that she was a coward. Cowards were weak, so defeating her would not bring back any memories like a stronger person would, such as… the one who just entered the room. Naruto unceremoniously tossed the girl into a broom closet, and turned to observe this potential threat. It was another girl, her garb suggesting that she was a student as well, though her serene smile despite Naruto's terrifying appearance revealed that she was much more than another coward. She had long black hair, and a face that seemed as fragile as porcelain.

He observed the Hollow-human-spirit- "being" for lack of a better word, standing at the other end of the classroom. He observed his blonde hair and the dark whisker marks upon the unmasked half of his face. With a start, he realized that it was Naruto. He had not seen the boy since the day that he himself had been killed by the infamous Copy-Cat Kakashi, though Naruto and his abnormal chakra had certainly aided in his death.

"Naruto, it is good to see you."

"Eh lady, you know who I am? Sorry that I don't remember. Were you my sister or something?"

He chuckled lightly. "I assure you Naruto that I am a man."

"Ah sorry. So how do you know me? Were we friends?"

"We were friends, but enemies in order to protect our precious people."

Naruto blinked as a memory suddenly overwhelmed his mind.

_He was looking at the same boy, though this time they were surrounded by fog. The remains of a simple mask fell of his face, and Naruto could see blood trickling from his mouth._

"_Naruto, do you have anyone important to you? Someone who you would die for to make sure they were happy? Do you have any precious people?"_

Naruto looked at the boy across the classroom, stunned.

"Haku."

* * *

Miles away in another dimension, a certain town seemed to be in celebration. Fireworks illuminated the night sky above Konoha. People were happy, sake was flowing, and the stores were all brightly decorated. All except for one store by the name of Ichiraku Ramen, and the occupants were almost in tears. Seated on the various stools was the Rookie 9-or at least what remained of them- Gai's team consisting of Neji, Tenten, and Lee, Iruka, and finally Konohamaru and his friends Moeki and Udon. 

Obviously, after Naruto's corpse arrived in the middle of Konoha five days ago, the fourth's law concerning the Kyuubi had been broken rather quickly, and this only worsened the guilt that several of them felt.

"To think, I lectured to him how terrible it is bear a seal that can never be removed," Neji said.

"I find it unsettling that our parent's unreasonable bias had influenced us against Naruto when we were younger," Shino's voice sounded level as always, but to his teammate and friend, Kiba, it was easy to tell the remorse that the bug user felt. Kiba, certain that the deceased blonde would be absolutely pissed to see the sad and sorry state that they were in.

Kiba joked, "Yeah, you two would have gotten along well, both of ya containing critters in your stomachs." His lame joke fell upon deaf ears.

Trying to end the unbearable silence, Tenten spoke up. "Has anybody been to see Hinata?"

Kiba responded, "Shino and I tried, but she's bottled herself up in Naruto's old apartment, and placed a seal on the door and the windows, so we couldn't get in."

Ino said, "Well, why didn't you guys break it?"

Shino explained, "When Naruto left for his three year training, Hinata took up the art of seals. She has improved at an astounding rate. Four months ago, Hokage authorized her to look at the notes on seals that the Yondaime had made, since she had surpassed all of those with seal knowledge in Konoha."

Ino said slowly, "Well, Sakura, you're really good friends with her, maybe you should go see her, she'll probably let you in."

If Sakura heard, she gave no sign of it. Her eyes were fixed upon the bowl of ramen before her, but not her mind. Her mind was cycling through the past, alternating between everything cruel she had ever done to the friendly blonde and what she had read in his medical folder.

"_Naruto, you're annoying!" Sakura yelled as she punched him._

Uzumaki Naruto- Age 12- Multiple lacerations from kunai. Minimal observation required. Released next day.

"_How dare you, Naruto!" Sakura and several other Sasuke fans yelled as they pummeled him._

Age 11- Multiple deep wounds, most likely from a sword or elongated knife. Blood loss severe. Minimal observation required. Released next day.

"_Naruto, you shouldn't bother Sasuke-kun. He's way better than you."_

Age 9- Hypothermia from long submergence in water (ranging 8-14 hours). Wounds upon wrists and ankles suggest being tied. Claims that villagers did this to him, sign of delusion. Minimal observation required. Released next day.

"_I really hate that Naruto kid. He's annoying, childish, and stupid."_

Age 7- Jumped from fifth floor of Shinobi Academy. Severely fractured leg, and coughing up blood. Possible broken ribs. Claims that he was thrown out the window by the sensei. Sensei denies. CAT scan may be required, as brain damage seems evident. Minimal observation required. Released next day.

"_Sasuke-kun is only hurt this bad because he had to defend you! I never want to see you again, Naruto!" _

Age 5- Numerous broken bones, cuts, and major damage to the overall skeletal structure. Villager's actions forgiven, due to drunkenness and the Kyuubi Festival. Minimal observation required. Released next day.

_Watching Naruto fight Kiba, Sakura thought 'I hope he loses.'_

Age 4- (The document had to be rewritten for it had become illegible after Sakura's tears) Condition critical. Majority of bones broken, numerous infected wounds, weak pulse, unconscious. Most likely caused by several carts accidentally running him over. Recommended course of action: Orange clothing so that carts will be able to see him. Minimal observation required. Released next day.

'And then I had the gall to make him promise to bring back Sasuke even though he had been through all that. All of that hell, without a family, by himself, and he still smiled. Meanwhile I was spoiled by my parents and chased Sasuke with half of the girls in Konoha. It doesn't matter what people say, I am a terrible person. Naruto, I wish I could make it up to you, but now it is too late.'

* * *

In the Hokage's office stood Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Kakashi. The door was barred shut, and Naruto's corpse lay in a corner of the room. The morgue had refused to make him a coffin, the mason refused to make him a tombstone, the church refused to bury him, and the council was doing all that it could to keep him off of the memorial stone. Even being threatened to be executed by Tsunade had not changed them; they said that it was only right that they did their part in the battle against Kyuubi. 

There had been multiple attempts to vandalize Naruto's body, even to the point where a medic-nin had been trying to pull his teeth for the "unique healing properties of demon teeth." So here sat Naruto, guarded by two Sannin and the infamous Copy-Cat Ninja.

"I don't care what's in it," Tsunade's voice cracked. "The people of this village are more demonic than the Kyuubi ever was."

Jiraiya said softly, "Tsunade, Naruto would have wanted the people of Konoha to be happy. Please, continue your duties as Hokage, I'm sure that is what Naruto would want."

Nodding, Tsunade turned to the package that they had just received

At first, their spirits were slightly uplifted, for it contained Orochimaru's head. Then, they saw the note.

_Sasuke-kun and the sharingan are mine._

There was little doubt as to who had written the letter.

* * *

Hinata was curled up in a ball in the sheets of Naruto's bed, tears falling from eyes. Her throat had long ago turned raw from her sobs and cries, but the tears continued. 

She had been too weak, she thought to herself. She had worked hard to improve herself, but still couldn't even bring herself to even talk to Naruto, much less confess to him and tell him that she wanted to ease the loneliness that he hid so well from others underneath that grinning mask of his.

But, she had always told herself tomorrow she would do it, and now there was no tomorrow. And she hated herself for it.

Miles away, the Kazekage listened to his nins' report with increasing rage. "So after we delivered the scroll to Konoha, we went down to the festival they were having. Apparently they were celebrating because one of their nin had died. Can you believe that?!? How… How cruel!"

* * *

Gaara shook his head. "What was the name of this ninja?" 

"Ah lets see, started with a U… Utumaki, Umanazi? Oh wait, it was Uzumaki Naruto! That was the name."

The brush in Gaara's hand snapped. He said darkly, "And they were celebrating?" The temperature seemed to drop several degrees.

Noticing the change in atmosphere, the chuunin said, "Ah, yes… uh yes they were, Kazekage-sama."

Gaara said, "Very well, pleaseinform the Konoha nins, villagers, etc. in Suna that they are no longer welcome in Wind Country, and that they have four hours- no, two hours to leave Suna. Also, bring me a messenger hawk. Dismissed."

The chuunin, relief evident on his face, bowed low and hurriedly exited the room. Gaara drew a new brush and a scroll from his desk, and began to write.

_Hokage Tsunade,_

_I am… displeased with your treatment of the death of Uzumaki Naruto. As of two hours from now, our alliance and peace treaty are null and void. Out of kindness, I will deliver Fire country trespassers back to Konoha… Or at least what remains of them._

_Kazekage Gaara,_

The chuunin returned with a messenger hawk. Gaara reread his letter, and then glanced at the face of the chuunin, observing his fear. No, he realized. If he were by himself, he would destroy Konoha. But now, all of Suna depended on him for their safety. His duty as Kazekage came before any personal vendettas of his own.

Gaara disposed of the original letter with a swift katon jutsu. Drawing a new scroll, he rewrote his letter.

_Hokage Tsunade,_

_I would wish to discuss the death and resulting festival of Uzumaki Naruto, before the chuunin exams begin. I feel that this meeting is important to maintain stability between our countries._

_Kazekage Gaara_

"Deliver this letter with the messenger hawk. Do not carry out the order to banish the Konoha people. Dismissed."

* * *

A group of people drabbed in black cloaks covered in red clouds stood in a cave near the border of Water Country. 

"What do you mean that we don't have all of Kyuubi?"

Kisame fidgeted nervously. Itachi was as calm as always. He said, "It would appear that we have underestimated the fox. He hid his soul and two tails of his power somewhere within the brat. We currently have seven tails worth of his power."

"It would appear that we have to delay our quest to gain Kyuubi until he is reborn in some whelp or other. Kisame, Itachi, you are to seek any abnormally powerful creatures, be they human or demon, that have been born recently."

Kisame said, "Ah, what if he hid himself in Naruto's soul, and he's with his spirit?"

"I doubt the fox would be capable of such a thing."

"But if it is true?"

The head nin of Akatsuki paused. "Then we will have a much larger problem on our hand. This will be quite a dilemma, and you know how our leader hates dilemmas."

This time, even Itachi could not repress a shudder.

* * *

Sasuke stood in the middle of a street. On either side of him were short buildings built in the popular Japanese style that so many wealthy clans and merchants seemed to enjoy. Sasuke was surprised to see that the road was covered in a completely white sheet of something similar to concrete. The cleanliness, although friendly in appearance, was slightly unnerving. 

A group of Shinigami ran out of an ajoining street. One of them yelled to him, "Hey! Have you seen any of the intruders?! What squad are you in?"

Sasuke, thinking quickly, said, "Squad 11."

The man paused, then said, "Hey you bastard! I'm on squad 11, and I've never seen you before! The reports said one of the intruders had Shinigami clothing, this must be him!"

The man blinked, and found red eyes with swirling tomoes inches from his own. It was the last thing he saw as Sasuke's sword stabbed through him.

One of the men yelled into a spirit phone, "We need backup, Sector 142 Main Street, ASAP. Intruder with Shinigami robes, black hair, red eyes and a chokuto style zanpakuto. Extremely fast, 5'10'' teenager abou-" The spirit phone fell from his hand as he reflexively drew his jambiya style sword to parry Sasuke's downward slash. 'Damn, this kid's fast!'

Sasuke leapt back and performed a few rapid hand seals- **Katon: Gokakyu no jutsu!** (Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique) The massive fireball left a scorch mark as it flew towards the shinigami. He blocked, but only managed to shift the direction of the fireball, destroying the building next to him and saving his life. The shinigami slumped to the ground, unconscious.

Sasuke frowned as he felt the mask tucked underneath his shirt pulse. There was no way that it was just a regular mask. He heard the footsteps of a large number of people approaching. Deciding that the mask would have to wait, he considered his options.

Fighting them would be possible, but very draining, and probably harmful in the long run. Going across the roofs would reveal his position. On the streets, he could look for a warehouse that might have the gigai that the Sakura midget and her book had talked about. Turning around, he took off down the street.


	5. The Hand Called Kyuubi

Hey guys, I'm back. Reason why it's been so long: school. School's back in, and the teachers are merciless. I'll try to squeeze in a few lines every here and there, but I'm not making any promises as to when I'll update. And then I decided to change Naruto's release, so I wound up rewriting a lot.

Just FYI, I watched about half of Bleach: Memories of Nobody. Then I turned it off. Naruto and Bleach have a lot in common, including the complete lack of ability on the big screen. The movie brought up some odd points though. At one point, Rukia says that shinigami do not remember their former lives. Yet, the ghosts in the series often talk about trying to find their families (such as the possessed bird hanging around Chad in the earlier episodes). So do they get their minds wiped when they become Shinigami? Hmm.

Anyway, this does not apply to this fanfiction.

Also, the new Shippuuden (this word and jinchuriki have got to be the hardest words ever made) chapters reveal the rest of Akatsuki. They might be a part of Akatsuki in this fanfic, they might not. Time will tell.

It seems like a lot of people want longer chapters. The reason why I don't do ridiculously long chapters like other writers is because I'm still pretty new to this story-writing business. By the second chapter, this has become the longest writing that I have ever done in my life.

However, I am trying to lengthen my chapters more, and so far, each of my chapters has been longer than the previous. I'm hoping to get up to around ten pages or so a chapter, and hold it there. Don't be afraid to let me know if I'm going to deep into detail or not deep enough, though.

Many reviewers have been asking why I made Naruto an Arrancar instead of a Vaizard. There are several reasons, but the main reason is that originally this whole fic was going to be about Sasuke, a Shinigami, hunting Naruto, a Hollow, before he destroys Konoha. But, after the second chapter, I got a crazy, awesome idea for a plot, which is what I'm currently followin. The other big reason is, well ok, I just thought it would be awesome to be unique and make him into an Arrancar.

Other people seem to be upset because they believe that Arrancars are more limited than Vaizards. Please, I ask you to observe this timeline. (Note that these aren't exact)

Episode 1-Shinigami Introduced

Episode 17-Release Introduced

Episode 40- Bankai Introduced

Episode 55-Vaizard Introduced

Episode 120- Arrancars Introduced (I know, you see them around 60, but shoot, they don't do anything then)

Episode 125-Vaizard ability to remove put on/remove mask introduced.

My point? It took 40 episodes to reveal everything Shinigami can do and 70 episodes to reveal everything Vaizards can do. The Arrancars have been around for all of 20 episodes. Give them time, and I'm sure we'll see what the Arrancars can do in future episodes/volumes/whatever.

The saddest part is that out of all of my readers, probly only like 5 of you will take the time to go through this huge hunk of prechaper text.

Now, I'll respond to a few reviews and then get on with the story.

Death Incarnate: Yeah, not too much action in chapter 4. However, the stage had to be set in the Shinobi World for future… events.

spedclas: Sorry, no significant pairings in this fic. I've gotten the plot lined out, so any large pairings would just be dead weight. There will probably be some hints of relations though. I am planning on starting another Naruto-based story sooner or later, and that one will contain a pairing.

FFX: Kenpachi squaring off against Sasuke, that would have been interesting. However, Ichigo defeated Kenpachi during chapter 2.

Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto or Bleach, I would sell them on e-bay. Since the copyrights aren't on bid under my account, I must not own them. Wow, already a page and a half of pre-chapter. Story time.

* * *

**Chapter 5**

**The Hand Called Kyuubi**

The room was quiet enough that one would be able to here a senbon drop. Naruto and Haku stood at opposite ends of the room. Naruto was stunned to meet this person who so reminded him of himself from more than three years ago. Haku, on the other hand, was coming to terms with what he had to do.

Haku's hand slid down to a pouch strapped around his waist. He paused, hesitating for a second, before smoothly drawing several senbon needles.

"I'm sorry, Naruto." With that, Haku launched the needles towards vital points on the blonde's body. Naruto leapt to the side, toppling desks as he went. Haku kept up his attack, forcing Naruto to form a few kage bunshins to take the senbons for him.

"Why Haku?! Aren't we friends!?"

Haku nodded, "You are a very important friend to me, Naruto. However, I made a deal with the Death God. After one thousand years of service to him, he will release Zabuza from Hell. I failed Zabuza once, and I will never fail one so precious to me again. As a shinigami, it is my duty to slay Hollows in all of their forms. I'm sorry."

Naruto nodded. He felt the same way about his memories. Each one, be it good or bad, was extremely important to him, and he would not let them be taken. "I understand. But," his hand gripped the hilt of his broadsword, "Don't expect me to just lie down!" Naruto drew his four foot blade, and charged towards Haku.

A small smile formed upon Haku's face. "I expected no less." Naruto swung his blade in a low, horizontal arc. Haku jumped and drew his own zanpakuto, a shortsword around a foot long. Naruto transferred the momentum of the swing into a diagonal slash. Haku flipped upside-down in the air, and the two zanpakutos met in a harsh clash of sparks.

The weight of Naruto's blow sent Haku flying towards the roof of the room. _He's gotten stronger, _Haku thought. Haku performed a kawairmi with a desk. The desk, gaining Haku's momentum, smashed through the ceiling. _A lot stronger,_ Haku thought grimly. Haku sent a dozen senbon towards Naruto's exposed back. Naruto leapt up through the hole the desk had made.

**Tajuu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu! **Naruto yelled from the floor above, and Haku ran out into the hallway as the ceiling collapsed under the combined weight of thiry-or-so desks and several tons of kage bunshin. Naruto jumped out of the wreckage and charged Haku, attempting to run him through with the tip of the sword. With so little room in the narrow hallway, Haku was forced to block, placing his left hand along the flat of the blade for additional support. Still, it did not stop his feet from sliding backwards.

As Haku's back slammed into the wall, he dissolved into a thousand drops of water. Before Naruto could even think mizu bunshin (water clone), Haku had his sword pointed against the nape of his neck. Feeling a slight breeze, Haku leapt to the side in order to dodge the killing vertical swipe delivered by a surviving kage bunshin. A few quick senbon disposed of it, but by then Naruto had already recovered, blocking the remaing needles.

Naruto performed another horizontal arc, but the blade bit into the wall, slowing the obscenely large zanpakuto enough for Haku to duck underneath the blade, and perform a sweeping kick at Naruto's legs. Naruto jumped and did a forward summersault, bringing his blade in a full moon vertical spin, the zanpakuto rending the floor and ceiling alike. Haku rolled out of harm's way and stabbed at Naruto, but luckily his blade had caught in the floor, causing Haku's zanpakuto to pass harmlessly an inch from his skin.

Planting his feet on the ceiling with reiatsu, Naruto grunted as he pulled his broadsword out of the floor. Both of them leapt back as the hallway groaned and a section of it fell down to the floor below.

* * *

The janitor from squad four paused as he heard a rumble from above and watched dust fall from the ceiling. He grumbled, "Damn punks. If they're gonna fight, they should clean up too." Still grumbling, he walked down the hall.

* * *

Naruto looked at Haku from his crouch on the ceiling. The cool breeze that was blowing through the break in the wall felt nice on his sweaty face. Haku, breathing slightly, said, "This isn't working. We need more room. Cafeteria is this way, follow." Haku turned around and sprinted down the hall. Naruto leapt across the chasm and landed gracefully-to some extent- upon the floor. Sheathing his broadsword, he ran after Haku. 

Naruto looked around, a frown appearing on the half of his uncovered mouth. Judging by the tables and the smell, this was the cafeteria, but where was Haku? A clouded mirror began to form in front of him. Looking around, he saw that they were forming on all sides, even above him. Naruto remembered this… technique. Unfortunately, he did not remember how to beat it. "Well, this is gonna suck."

Senbon rained down upon him from every direction. Desperately, Naruto continued creating kage bunshins to take the needles. His sword had proven useless; it had bounced off of the mirror and left his hand trembling. He had to come up with something fast, although he could keep up the bunshins all day, it would only be a matter of time before one senbon-or one hundred- got through to him.

Naruto churned through his mind, searching every memory for an answer. Finding none, he began checking every memory for something-anything he could use. In his mind's eye, he saw a dark sewer. Before he could even wonder where that memory had come from, he was pulled into the darkness.

* * *

Naruto opened his eyes and slowly stood up. He was in a dark sewer with water up to mid-shin. There was a hot wind blowing against his face. Déjà vu filled every part of him, but he could still not remember where he had seen this place before. 

Naruto walked through the dimly lit tunnels, the wind increasing with each step. He turned a corner and was blinded by light. When he could see, he gasped at the sight before him.

There was a huge room with the remains of steel bars-each at least six feet in diameter- bending every which way. Deep gashes covered the backs of the twisted bars. Naruto picked up two scraps of paper floating on the surface. Lining them up, he could see that they read "Seal," in simple kanji. Yet the papers practically burned with power in his hands.

Naruto's eyes suddenly widened as his memory went into overdrive.

_Naruto stared with awe as he walked toward the giant steel prison. Three long claws shot between the bars, causing Naruto to jump back. Two glowing, slitted eyes formed behind the gate, along with an enormous, grinning mouth._

"_**It is about time that we met, brat**__**"**__ The demon rumbled._

"_You… you are the Kyuubi!"_

"_**Aren't you the observant one. If it weren't for his damnable seal, I would gladly consume you for your idiocy, and your pathetic village of worms as well**__**"**__ The Kyuubi's grin grew larger._

"_Hey, damn fox! Since you're staying in my body, you gotta give me chakra when I need it as rent!" Naruto yelled._

_Kyuubi roared with laughter. __**"If you die, then I die as well. Very well then, now be gone!"**_

Naruto observed the broken gate where the demon had resided for fifteen years. He had died, so… was Kyuubi dead as well?

Naruto noticed a passage in the back of the cage. Through it, he could see light, and the hot wind seemed to be blowing through it. Naruto stepped through the passage, and blinked.

The sewer had vanished, and surrounding him was a dusty red canyon. Chasms cut through the earth seemingly at random, and boulders towered above him. The hot wind howled as it blew through the various crevices.

"Just… where… am I?" Naruto wondered aloud.

"**Just where do you think we are, brat?"**

Naruto spun around. "Strange, you look… different from what I remember. What the hell happened to you, damn fox?"

Sitting on top of a boulder was a fox. On its haunches, it was about seven feet tall. Its body was covered in white fur, and although the pupils of his eyes were still the same red slits, the whites of the eyes were pitch black. Two long tails lashed through the air behind him.

Kyuubi growled, **"Those Akatsuki bastards did this to me. To think, that they would dare try to steal the power of the greatest of the bijous. Unfortunately, your pathetic human soul was only able to support two tails of my power."**

"Well that explains your size, but…" Naruto snickered "Why are you white?"

Kyuubi bristled. **"Insolent brat! This happened to meet when I ate some pale bastard who looked just like you! Annoying little bastard -even worse than you- and damnably chalky in taste. Still, he's persistent. Even now, he battles my mind, trying to overthrow me and seize control. Still, a gnat would have a better chance than anything that bears resemblance to you."**

"Uuuuhhh… oook. Um, the shinigami guide said something about the spirit of my zanpakuto being somewhere in my mind. Have you seen 'em?"

Kyuubi grinned. **"As a matter of fact, I think I have. I seem to recall,"** Kyuubi's grin grew larger, **"that he was a quite a tasty morsel, and entertained me with the antics he called swordplay before I finished him." **

Naruto yelled, "Damn it, fox! I need his power to use my zanpakuto's shikai!"

"**Relax brat, I absorbed his powers, and I can assure you that I am capable of unleashing your zanpakuto. However, I want something in return. You must carry revenge out on Akatsuki."**

"Who?"

"**YOU FORGOT THAT AS WELL?!? YOU IDIOTIC SPAWN OF A HUMAN PARASITE!!!! THE ONES THAT KILLED US!!!!!"**

Naruto's grin was feral as remembered the men in red clouds. "Don't worry, I fully intend to make them regret ever screwing with Uzumaki Naruto."

"**Very well. However, being the stupid ape that you are, I must explain a few things to you. Transforming you from a Hollow to a Shinigami has made you into an insanely twisted and evil being called Arrancar. Or at least it should have, but my presence has altered this."**

"That's strange, I thought you would love nothing more than for me to be evil."

"**Do not compare the depth of true evil to that of the mindless raving of the Arrancars. They are hardly better than the Hollows they once were. **

**You, however, are something beyond that. Part human, part shinobi, part spirit, part Hollow, part Shinigami, part demon; you are something the world has never seen."**

"I thought you said I was an Arrancar."

"**You are an Arrancar. With benefits."**

"Like what?"

"**Your sanity, you stupid ape." **Kyuubi sighed in frustration. **"We have run out of time."**

"What?"

"**Fool. You're still fighting Haku. Don't forget to call upon me to unleash your zanpakuto, NOW GO!!!!"**

Naruto snapped his eyes open to see the last of his kage bunshin being destroyed. His hands flashing through the familiar seals, he yelled **Tajuu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!**

With his temporary shield in place, Naruto reached deep within himself to find the Kyuubi's reiatsu. Grasping the hilt of his broadsword, Naruto roared:

"**Enfadar, Kyuubi!" **

Naruto flexed his right arm, now covered in short, black fur that seemed to absorb the light.a large clawed hand covered in short midnight black fur, with a jagged, crimson stripe running from his shoulder to the center of the top of his palm. Although his arm was still arguably human, his hand certainly not. Where the red striped ended, there seemed to be a closed eye. Five thin, crimson lines ran from the "eye" across the enlarged palm to the end of each finger. The fingers themselves were abnormally long, about eight inches, each one ending with a slightly curved claw. Covered in thin black fur, his hand seemed more fitting for a nightmare than reality.

Naruto thrusted his hand towards Haku, his arm extending and claws spread wide. Haku flowed into another mirror as the former one exploded into a shower of shards. Naruto spun around, smashing all of the mirrors into oblivion. Haku charged through the falling glass with zanpakuto drawn in hopes of catching Naruto off-guard.

Naruto's hand contorted, the bones snapping as it shaped into a perverse imitation of the broadsword it one was. The closed eye rested upon the hilt of the weapon where it joined Naruto's arm, and red veins ran through the entire length of the dark blade (imagine Soul Edge from Soul Calibur and you won't be too far off). Naruto easily blocked Haku's assault, and knocked him down with a flick of his wrist.

Naruto slashed downwards at Haku, but Haku blocked, halting the demented blade a mere foot from his throat. The two held that position for maybe a second or maybe hours; neither could tell. Then Naruto grinned, and the eye on his blade opened a hair, revealing a sliver of a burning red eye. The blade broke split into five fingers again, Haku's blade traveling up the length of Naruto's arm. Naruto only grinned wider, and the five claws shot downwards into his chest.

The blade fell from Haku's hand, Naruto's crippling wound already re-stitching itself. Naruto blanked out as he remembered Iruka, a man whose parents were killed by Kyuubi, yet still taught Naruto and treated him to the occasional bowl of ramen.

_Figures I would remember a teacher in a school._ Naruto drew a small portion of Haku's reiatsu. Sure, he needed to nourish himself, but he didn't want to kill Haku either. Sure, he knew they were both already dead, but he didn't want to risk his friend's life- err, afterlife- by taking all of his reiatsu.

Naruto looked at his hand, noting that the eye had shut tight again. Naruto's arm stretched as he tore a hole in the ceiling and pulled himself up to the roof. He looked around, observing a large, mainly white city. There was a cliff in the distance with what looked like an absurdly large medieval execution platform. Naruto gasped as a flaming bird appeared at the top of the cliff.

As he felt the power roll by him, he began to jump from building to building towards it. Screw Sarutobi, if he could beat that phenomenal bird with all of that reiatsu, he was certain he would get his memories back. He locked Kyuubi back into the zanpakuto form, and began to head to the execution cliff, grinning all the way.

* * *

**Jutsus**

Kage bunshin no jutsu- shadow clone technique

Tajuu kage bunshin no jutsu- mass shadow clone technique

Kawairmi- replacement technique. Allows a nin to replace himself with another object (in the manga/anime, they mainly use logs)

**Sword Moves**

Enfadar, Kyuubi!- Rage, Kyuubi!

**About Naruto's Zanpakuto's Release**

Basically, its an arm that is extremely versatile, able to stretch, contract, and take on entirely new shapes (such as, but not limited to, a sword). Also, its' regenerative abilities are far beyond the rest of Naruto's body. As for what the eye means…. Well, you'll just have to wait and see.

RnR so I know if I'm doing well and how I can do better. I promise Sasuke will be in the next chap. Cya!


End file.
